Browns insider reveals Shedeur Sanders being mentored by $230,000,000 QB ahead of 2025 NFL season

The man entrusted to take the Cleveland Browns to the next level a few years ago is serving a different role at the club this offseason. Deshaun Watson was acquired by the Browns from the Houston Texans in 2022, with the franchise paying him a fortune to turn them into Super Bowl contenders. However, it hasn’t worked out as they’d hoped.

While recovering from his Achilles surgery, Watson, who signed a five-year contract worth $230 million, is serving as a mentor to Shedeur Sanders, according to Cleveland.com.

Watson served in that capacity throughout minicamp. The most optimistic timeline for Watson to be healthy enough to play is November to December, so the team is currently auditioning for a new starting quarterback.

Cleveland.com reporter Mary Cabot confirmed on Monday that Watson will open the 2025 campaign on either the injured reserve or the PUP (physically unable to perform) list. Cabot said that Watson has taken Sanders “under his wing to help him come up the learning curve quickly, and it’s been working.”

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Sanders was projected to be the second quarterback selected in the 2025 draft, but his stock plummeted dramatically with Cleveland finally taking him in the fifth round. At that point, they’d already chosen another QB in Dillon Gabriel, who fell to the Browns in the third round.

“He (Watson) has been a guy I've connected with as well, and he's actually a guy I sit by in our O-line meetings,” Gabriel said via Marca.

Watson's advice may come in handy, given that the son of NFL icon Deion "Prime Time" Sanders has been in the news for multiple speeding violations.

The former Houston Texans Pro Bowler has had his share of legal difficulties throughout his NFL career, including a sexual assault allegation in 2021, and his story could help Shedeur Sanders clean up his act off the field and focus on football.

Race for Browns starting QB job heating up

With Deshaun Watson out of the picture for the foreseeable future, who will be the club’s starter on September 7 when they open the regular season remains to be seen.

Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders are contending for the position. Many observers believe Pickett and Gabriel are the current frontrunners.

Last season, Pickett was a backup to Jalen Hurts on the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl-winning team. At the same time, Flacco is a former Super Bowl MVP, winning the title with the Baltimore Ravens.

Meanwhile, Sanders is making a solid impression at camp, showing similar poise and accuracy that saw him earn the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award with the Colorado Buffaloes in 2024.

Pre-season performances could tell us a lot about who coach Kevin Stefanski chooses to start. Their first pre-season affair is August 8 against the Carolina Panthers. Their regular-season opener is against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Edited by Krutik Jain